White House officials are panicked by the idea of Trump testifying under oath, believing he wouldn't be able to do so without committing perjury.
White House officials are panicked by the idea of Trump testifying under oath, believing he wouldn't be able to do so without committing perjury.
President Trump's lawyers are opposed to a potential under-oath interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the NY Times' Michael Schmidt and Maggie Haberman report. Trump has said in the past that he'd willingly sit down with Mueller.
As Axios' Jonathan Swan reported last week , White House officials are panicked by the idea of Trump testifying under oath, believing he wouldn't be able to do so without committing perjury. "Trump doesn't deal in reality," one source said. "He creates his own reality and he actually believes it."
Why it matters: "Refusing to sit for an interview opens the possibility that Mr. Mueller will subpoena the president to testify before a grand jury, setting up a court fight that would dramatically escalate the investigation and could be decided by the Supreme Court," the Times reports.
On what possible basis should such a person continue on as the nation's leader? His own advisers essentially admit he is a serial liar who can't tell reality from fantasy.
Bill Clinton was impeached for perjury and he got to finish his term. Republicans are going to remember that and react accordingly.
Bill Clinton lied about getting a blow job.
Donald Trump has lied about selling America to the Russians.
See the difference???
I see the difference...but will the republicans?
They can't see past Hillary.
Please, for all that is holy and righteous, put the Rump under oath...
I'm all for getting it over with. His reign, that is.
That may never happen, as his attorney's are telling him not to talk to Mueller now. After Trump has already stated he would meet with Mueller. So I wonder how Trump will get out of this one without losing face and credibility.
Nah......scratch the credibility part, he has none to worry about losing.
Could agreeing to willingly meet with Mueller just be another of his lies? And now he's using the lawyers to get out it?
Hmmmm....the soap opera continues.......
Correct...So he pleads the 5th and Mueller has to finally, at long last show what he has and he better not come up with some unrelated nonsense - the entire country is outraged over the biased, deep state, plot which led to this baseless investigation.
More likely, after he refuses Mueller subpoenas him to testify in front of the grand jury. Trump then lies (he really can't help himself), is charged, and we all watch Paul Ryan squirm trying to explain why he won't allow impeachment proceedings.
Mueller has to lay all his finding out only AFTER the investigation is over, and it's over when Mueller says it is, no matter what trump, GOP or fox "news" says.
that ought to be fun to watch
Personally I believe that is why Ryan is retiring. He knows what's coming and wants out before he has to deal with it.
Ryan's retiring? I knew Gowdy was, but Ryan?
Woo-hoo!
you've been eating too many flakes
Dont you think asking the President for an interview is the final phase?
Like I say, Trump takes the 5th and then Mueller has to show what he has, much as you want to see the investigation go on for 4 years, it's pretty much over
Not definitively, but I read an article stating that he is considering it.
Maybe we could get the Face Book God to give him a sign like he did Michele Bachman
If Trump get's thrown out of office or even worse thrown into jail.......I predict....This Country will tear itself apart.......Also, what specifically has Trump done to deserve to go to Prison (Please Provide Proof that would stand up in a Court of Law) Thanks.
Mueller is working on that right now. Be patient.
So, the answer is nothing, becuase if he had real evidence of crimes, at the very least they would have been leaked, if not published outright.
We aren't talking the House investigation, Mueller is by all accounts very professional and would not allow any leaks.
Unfortunately after the last 8 years of Hillary's investigations most people no longer know what a "professional" investigation looks like. They're used to people like Gowdy and Nunes leaking on schedule little tidbits to keep their audience chopping at the bit, even if those leaks are so one-sided and out of context they did not reflect the actual investigation. That's why some people kept getting upset when over and over again Hillary was never charged.
Why in the world should he testify at all? Why even talk to Mueller?
Is there some vital piece of information Mueller needs that he can only get directly from Trump? I very much doubt it.
The only thing to quiz him on at this point is why he might have fired one person or another - or something else from Trump's own thoughts - for the purpose of basically getting him to confess to attempted obstruction of justice or trick him into perjuring himself. It won't have anything to do with a conspiracy between himself and Russia to illegally mess with the election. It should be clear by now that nothing like that actually happened.
If a confession or a trick is the only way we convict Trump of a crime, then it's time to fold up this circus and move on. If we are truly at the point where the investigation cannot achieve anything without testimony from Trump, then this waste of time has been exposed for what it is.
Nice try.
Everyone knows Trump would lie to Mueller simply because he doesnt know any other way to answer a question.
There probably isnt a lawyer on earth that would trust him to answer truthfully.
He is a pathological liar but he isn't very good at it.
Even if his tongue were notarized I still would believe a word that comes out of his mouth.
The FBI can practically set up anyone in a perjury trap. Based on what we now know, Donald Trump cant trust nor expect a fair interview
So what do you want to do? Impeach a president or undo an election because the guy inflates how many people watched him get inaugurated? Is that what's important for the country? Will any so-called lie do? Or - if it turns out Trump didn't do anything wrong when he was running for president - will you finally accept that he was legitimately elected?
Correct, and everybody can avoid that trap, BY NOT LYING!!!
You obviously accept the fact that Trump lies to the American people multiple times every single day. He has that illness and it disqualifies him from office.
Yeah, I kinda do. The question is how much that matters.
If I thought he was lying to us about something that was important, I would be bothered by it. Not that I support lying, but I am cynical enough to realize that politicians lie all the time.
For example, let's say he was pushing a piece of legislation that dramatically changed my healthcare, but talked me into going along with his idea by promising me I could keep my plan and my doctor, even though he knew better. Something like that would piss me off a lot. But declaring that his inauguration or his SOTU speech was "the most watched" is not something I actually care about.
Another example you might think is important. Let's say the president signs a tax cut and calls it the biggest in history, even though it's not. You might think that would disqualify him from office. Trump has been kind of doing that. OK, how do you feel about the fact that Obama did exactly that in 2011?
What if the president sought to disparage the minority party in Congress by claiming they had blocked 10 times the amount of legislation that they actually had? Is that a big enough lie to kick him out?
Four Pinocchios for Obama’s claim that Republicans have ‘filibustered about 500 pieces of legislation’
So, before you get too high and mighty about the president's truthfulness, you might want to reflect on 1) He's not alone among politicians when it comes to bending and breaking the truth and 2) At the end of the day, most of the stuff Trump lies about is pretty small potatoes compared to some of the stuff other presidents have lied about.
You are not 'everyone' homey-Bear. Please stop speaking for the nation, no one has hired you into that position.
Or being simplistic and claiming the fifth !
Trump says that Russia did not attempt to influence the last election, this is contrary to intelligence from EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. This is of utmost importance because it means that he has not allowed any federal agency to take any steps to prevent Russia from doing the same thing in the next election (this year).
Is that a big enough lie for you? Or big enough consequences?
His ego would never allow him to do that, and you can bet the Mueller's team already know how to stroke his ego to let the Twitter monster out.
China knew how to wrap him around their little finger, he is now best friends with their Xi because they "honored" him (stroked his ego) with a red carpet and all the loud, show-off, ego building, pomp when he visited.
Mueller won't get his hands on him.
As for China, Does China have him wrapped, or has he actually wrapped China.
We'll have to wait and see. 7 more years to go to find out.
You think Trump will ignore a grand jury subpoena? By all accounts Mueller will go that way if Trump just refuses to interview.
Seriously? Trade deficit with China has increased under Trump, the exact opposite as one of his promises.
U.S.-China Trade Deficit Hits Record, Fueling Trade Fight
Lol, answering questions under oath is a "Trick"?!
With Trump's penchant for going off in tangents when talking it could be that he and his lawyers are now afraid that he will open his mouth during the questioning and swallow his azz. I don't imagine there will be a teleprompter for him to use during the questioning. However, he has not really stuck to what is should say even with a teleprompter. So.....that might make them a bit more reluctant to have his try to answer the questions honestly and without him going off on some unrelated tangent about great he is. It will be interesting to see he actually has the balls to even meet with Mueller.
I hear the words 'perjury trap' being tossed around - If Mueller has a [strong] case showing collusion, as well as the ever popular 'obstruction of justice' .. there is NO need for Presidential testimony .... correct?
So does it come down to a question as to whether Mueller has a case proving Russia collusion with the campaign .. with the cherry picked obstruction of justice on top?
Correct. The only reason I can think of to interview the president would be if he had information on someone else they suspected of wrongdoing.
Or, maybe, to get his side of the issues???
I feel like we get his side every day - about 3:00 a.m.
"Because I'm the president and that's my prerogative. I don't need a reason." That would be my reason.
Why would this matter? Who are we investigating by asking this?
This would have to be a question related to an investigation of someone other than Trump, right? Otherwise, you're asking him to testify against himself, which he should not do under the 5th Amendment. Even if it's about someone else, the fact that a meeting was held on his property could potentially make him responsible, so again, why answer such a question?
Are you asking, "Did you help your son commit a crime by lying to authorities?" Again: Why ask this? Why answer it?
The government is already in possession of Trump's financial records via his tax returns. In answer, Trump would have to rely on whatever his accountants have to say anyway.
Agreed Tacos ... should be the only way to compel a Presidential interview / testimony ...
After the Nune's memo and the Carter Page debacle, questioning of the President by Mueller would turn the investigation into twice the media circus than it already is.
And yet with all his interviews, he has never mentioned that particular reason once. Remember, Mueller absolutely has done his homework and knows the various reasons that Trump has given. Which means if he uses your claim, he is committing a felony by lying to the FBI.
Despite his denials, they ARE investigating Trump and his administration. If he'd known that Flynn had lied to the FBI prior to him asking Comey to drop the investigation, he would have obstructed justice. Obstruction of justice is one of the crimes that Mueller is investigating Trump for.
Only if the meeting was illegal in nature, something Trump has denied.
Again, Trump has claimed that the meeting was innocent of any Russian corroboration, him taking the 5th would be an admission by him that he was aware of its illegality.
Many of the questions Mueller will ask, have already been answered and confirmed, this will show if Trump is being honest and will relate the the same answer that he has given to reporters previously.
Trump already has money hidden in off-shore accounts, this is just to fill in the gaps to help determine the likelihood of him being compromised by Russian intelligence. Remember, borrowing money from Russian banks is not illegal, putting money in tax free off-sure havens is also not illegal ( generally ), and his tax returns will not reflect any of the "hidden" money.
You seem to be of the opinion that the only purpose of the Mueller interview is to incriminate Trump himself, that may occur if (more likely when) Trump does lie during the interview however the primary purpose is to gain additional information to investigate.
Trump may be the big fish on this side, but Mueller's investigation has the potential to expose Russia's network and its procedures for turning authority figures to their side. Even if Trump is innocent, or just an unwitting patsy, the number of people in his administration and campaign staff with deep Russian contacts is very very disturbing and Mueller's investigation may show a light on what and how the Russians are attempting to recruit, for us to be able to prevent it from happening next time.
Also keep in mind that we have another election coming up this year, and to date the Trump administration has taken zero steps to prevent Russia from attempting to influence this next one. Just like he has refused to apply the legally required sanctions on Russia.
To be fair...... Trump should pull a page out of the Democrats playbook and Plead The Fifth.......
The president of the United States would plead the fifth to avoid lying to investigators...... lol.
Why not, Peter Strozk has the same mindset as you do
Doubt it, Strozk was the agent pushing to reopen the Hillary email investigation.
So, you are saying Lois Lerner was pleading the 5th so she didn't have to lie? Interesting, after all these years of you 'standing up for her'.
Nice.
He was agent in charge of Hillary's investigation, Clearly that was a phony investigation to let her walk
To be fair in Trump's own words -
Of course Trump is a hypocritical blow hard lying bastard since he took the 5th in his divorce with Ivana and refused to answer question about his adulterous behavior to the tune of 97 deposition questions that were largely about having sex with women not his wife. Again in Trump's own words it's.
It's the left's best hope in railroading the President out of office.....
Which is really easy since Trump himself keeps shoveling the....errr....coal. Clean coal of course.
Why should Trump go under oath? Comey didn't make the former Secretary of State do that.......Shouldn't the President of the United States get that kind of "Special Treatment" from Muller?
Yeah! What he said! Why do the peasants not go away and not bother the ruler with their petty questions, he is KING and such going ons disturb him a little.
Are you kidding? What on the planet could you get trump to swear on that would compel him to tell the truth? Does he even know what the truth is or is he just going with "what's good for trump is the truth?" I can't see how his handlers could let him be interviewed, unless there's a bunch of his lawyers there to jump on top of him to shut him up. Otherwise, there's a fairly-good chance he would let his mouth run and incriminate himself, and who knows who else.
I have to say that I agree with a lot of what you posted (excluding the first part)......that being said....I would think you would be hard pressed to find anyone in DC that doesn't have a problem telling the truth. That is just one of the reasons, I want to have as little control over my life as possible.
But I have to ask.....were you upset and disgusted when Lois Lerner Pled the Fifth?
Actually, yes I was, a bit. Pleading the 5th is admitting you did do something wrong somewhere, somehow connected to the case but don't want to admit it. The founding fathers thought it was important enough to put it and a couple other rights in the Constitution as a fix for the flaws they saw in the English Judicial system that our Judicial system is modeled on.
But "the don" isn't in a position to plead the 5th, it would only make it worse and generate another investigation. The Prez of the U.S. is always under the sharp point of the law, because of all people, he should serve the law and NEVER break the law.
That's good to hear. Thanks.
Oh, 100% honest politicians, who stay honest 100% of the time are as rare as rain on the Sahara. There must be some out there but they don't make the news, just the loud dishonest ones who mess up and the insane ones do.
Lol, Why cant he plead the 5th? People like Russell discredit everything he says or does anyway, so why not avoid the perjury trap. Let Mueller show us what he's got - I say he's got nothing.
Who was it again that claimed only guilty people would plead the 5th...
Pleading the 5th is still somewhat incriminating, the only reason I can see for the interview (or any interview like this) is to see if the person being interviewed will make a statement which could direct or shorten the investigation. This wouldn't be like expressing your opinions to a friend over lunch, these would be pointed questions one after another with every word recorded and also transcribed and I don't know if trump could handle the load.
But to duck it would look worse and encourage Mueller to dig harder and that might end up being worse, with something nastier and more official then a interview.
Was it Trump? You guys remember every word he says.
It's like the local pastor quoting the Bible.
I disagree. Look at the way Mueller's team trapped Flynn and Popandopolous. They held an unnecessary interview with Flynn on a subject they knew everything about. He lies about something totally inconsequential and they prosecute for perjury. The other wanna-be gets trapped with questions about what he said when he was half drunk in a bar.
No way Trump should trust them.
As for Mueller digging harder - he's got everything, wiretaps, tapes all the documents he wanted plus Mueller and his team has squeezed witnesses with prosecutions. He has squat! All he can hope for is a blunder from Trump and Trump giving an interview without any crime being committed would be a big mistake.
Lying to a federal agent is a federal offence in itself. No oath required.
Though Trump would be rightfully deemed The Liar King, he certainly does not have a lock on untruths.
Diogenes would have a difficult time indeed seeking an honest man amongst our politicians as they lie about their lies on a somewhat regular basis. Lying is one of the few things we have a united government on.
United Liars of America...
There can ONLY BE ONE
Champion of the Liars,
and it IS TRUMP
Nowhere even close
.
his latest, the dems are treasonous for not standing and clapping WTF
is wrong with the Orange clown who WILL be going down, and the sooner the better
Mueller has an Iceberg of evidence , so lettuce all rejoice that the ignorance choice will meat
his demise before our very eyes, even while so many will shove their fingers in their ears, pretendin
they can't see or hear, anything here or there, as they just don't seem to want to care, and who wants to be proven wrong...
actually, I wouldn't but I try to be a realist really
It has been slightly amusing, if sad, to watch the conservatives here try, and miserably fail, to finesse this issue on behalf of their leader.
Common sense and good sense dictate the plain truth of this - Trump's close advisers and pals are afraid to see him be required to tell the truth to a series of questions (which are more or less unknown at the moment) because they know in their hearts and heads that he can't do it.
That is the bottom line of this, Donald Trump cannot tell the truth, even when it is required, and everyone knows it.